Monday, July 21, 2014

Social Media Tips

I mentioned I was in Orlando last week for a work conference. The conference was all-thing social media. At my job (IRL...not blog-life) I manage our company's social media and email platforms. This conference was more like continuing education for my current job...but I learned quite a lot that I can use in my other job...aka...my blog. :) If I can benefit from some of the tips I learned, maybe you can too! You, social media mavens, you. :) Below are some of the interesting points I gleaned from my conference. Oh, if I say "brand" below, just substitute that for your blog, etc.

1. Develop a clear "voice" for your brand. Determine how you want to come across to your community or fans. Are you witty and creative? Informational and reliable? Smart? Sarcastic? (okay, I put that last one in there...)

2. Prior to a brainstorming session, it is important to preface your meeting with actual idea generation. Don't wait until the session to start thinking...think beforehand and come to the session with some ideas to explore.

3. Standardize your terminology. This is especially important if you have multiple social media vehicles like a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Learn to use words like "audience" instead of followers on Twitter and likes on FB. This makes it easier to see the big picture of how your voice is heard by your audience.

4. Contests (giveaways) are king! They are great way to gather reader/audience information and build brand loyalty. They are gift that keeps on giving.

5. People want a relationship with your brand. They are tired of advertising and people are looking to cultivate more a personal relationship with your brand than what was possible before social media.

6. Engage your readers as storytellers.

7. Good conversation skills are essential.

8. A visual makes for a better, longer overall impression than just plain text. (this one is a DUH!)

9. The infographic is not dead!

10. The visual that accompanies your content is worth 80% of the "money" or "effort" spent on the entire piece. Meaning, your visual is more important than your content when it comes to getting the attention of your audience.